Lexus team gains more and more confidence. What more should we expect?

Lexus team gains more and more confidence. What more should we expect?

Posted by Georgi Boychev on 06 December 2016, 05:49 PM

So, When Can We Expect the Hydrogen Lexus?

Now that right there is a question that many in the automotive industry and automotive journalism industry has been discussing and wondering for quite some time. When will we get to look at this groundbreaking technology that Lexus has been working on for some time? Will it be worth the wait? How will it be designed, and most of all how will the consumer base accept or decline it?

Let us answer a couple of these questions for you quickly. Let us start off with the Why? Why would they create this vehicle? Reason it simple, the whole automotive industry is making this shift towards fuel efficiency and corporate responsibility to combat climate change and carbon emissions.

Another reason for this choice to create a Hydrogen technology based vehicle, is simply to give them a one up on a very competitive segment, which is the luxury sedan models. BMW right now is the only other major automakers in the luxury segment that has made any progressive changes for environmentally friendly vehicle design. Even so they have just made new models, instead of trying to adapt one of their more popular models.

Next question; how will it work exactly? Well no one really knows the exact science of the vehicle yet, because that hasn't been released for obvious reasons. All we do know is that the LS model will have some autonomous features, an electric powered motor driving the rear wheel and then sending that power equally to the front, to give the vehicle balance and stability in terms of distribution of power.

Much like the LF-FC concept they showed in Tokyo in 2015, there will be two modes likely; cruise mode for which it will allow the driver to recharge their battery as it continues to drive, then an acceleration mode that will use more power but provide greater acceleration and speed. A great sense of give and take with its technology that is quite revealing of the future of this industry.

Last question, when will it be available. Right now, all that is known, is that it will be showcased sometime in 2017, then likely be available sometime in 2019. They will likely provide a standard drive system with the same design changes they showoff in 2017 for which they will be selling in early 2018 at local Lexus dealers like Len Stoler, just won't include the hydrogen power technology quite yet.

So, we must wait and see what happens in the coming year. But the exciting aspect of all this, is that we will start to see more technological breakthroughs in the automotive industry in 2017 and 2018. Specifically, the autonomous vehicles.